Needle felting is a craft that involves repeatedly stabbing a needle into a piece of wool in order to stiffen and shape it into the desired form. It is becoming a popular method for creating small animal figures since the texture of the felted creations resembles an animal’s fur. Other popular items that felters enjoy creating include foods, plants, and cartoon characters.

A special type of needle is used to manipulate the fibers by repeatedly poking itself into the ball of wool. The tip of the needle features small barbed notches that allow the fibers of the wool to be moved towards the center of the shape without being pulled back out when the needle is pulled out. The more this is done, the more rigid your shape will become.

Needle felting is also starting to become a popular form of stress relief, as the repeated motions of the needle can be very therapeutic. The best thing about needle felting is that you don’t need much to get started!